


Searching for Sunrise

by Anonymous



Category: MapleStory, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angelic Buster Loki, Dragons, F/M, Hoarding, Identity Issues, Kaiser Thor, Lady Loki, M/M, Male Loki (Marvel), MapleStory AU, Mutual Pining, Nesting, Possessive Behavior, Reincarnation, no knowledge of Maplestory required
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22685311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: In the world of Grandis, heroes aren’t made; they’re born.Thor doesn’t really understand the repercussions of that until his brother pays the price.He goes on a journey to get him back.
Relationships: Angelic Buster & Kaiser (Maplestory), Loki & Loki (Marvel), Loki/Thor (Marvel), Thor & Thor (Marvel)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

The war had lasted five long years.

Five years were not so much to a Nova, but those years were. They were long enough to crease wrinkles into the face of the youthful, to fatigue the wit of the elderly, to stain the innocence of children, to murder hope and thin the supplies…

But somehow, the war had ended.

Now Thor stood before the council, alone. The sharp, imposing blade of the Kaiserium was sheathed against his leather wings, and yet his presence was no less than if he held it in his hand, ready to take on an army of thousands.

Instead, the army was twelve-strong. The members of the Nova’s ruling council sat in their high seats, gazing down at him with weights of stone. Had it not been for their dark horns and wings, they would’ve blended in perfectly with the temple decor—stainless white trimmed with gold, unfeeling and unrepentant as marble could be. Nova to the end. Thor hated the word.

The tension sung in the air.

He waited.

Finally, Fenelle, the elder who had raised him since birth, spoke.

“Kaiser, you must know why you’re here.”

Not even she would address him as ‘Thor’ anymore.

Thor smiled bitterly. “I allowed you to command me in war. Would you have me let you command me in marriage, too?”

Beldar, the council leader, sighed harshly. “This is no joking matter, Kaiser. You hold the blood of the true dragons. It is expected that you, as all Kaisers before you, pass down that blood to ensure the continuation of the Nova. It is your duty!”

“It is my _life_!” Thor boomed, stilling the council. “The bit I still have! After you took the heart of it from me five years ago!”

“Kaiser,” Fenelle began again, softening with guilt, “Loki—”

“And you don’t get to speak his name!” Thor interrupted. “You who used him, you who drained him dry—you took my brother from me and you expect to enslave the rest of my life, too? Well let me tell you, the Kaisers before me may have been happy and willing, but I’ll have none of it!”

The final word echoed in the chamber.

Beldar opened his mouth. Two seats from him, Kylan, the youngest of the council members, stopped him.

“Peace, please,” he said. “The war has turned us desperate and unkind. The Nova have suffered a century of terror and fear, and it has plagued us, the council, with calculation, paranoia, and worst of all, a rashness to take whatever means necessary. Such is the nature one must have to go to war, to make difficult sacrifices...but we have been unjust to our hero and still seek more from him without a moment’s rest. I plead the council to remember this and put ourselves in our hero’s shoes. Can we not allow him the time to grieve?”

A murmur moved through the seated twelve. Beldar frowned, but he did not seem unamenable.

“That is a thought,” he said. “It would greatly ease the people’s worries to see you with a match…but it is true there is time yet, and even with this victory, there is still much work to be done to reclaim Heliseum.”

Thor said nothing, but his mouth twitched, tempted to bare his teeth and growl. Still he acted as if Thor was a child, as if he would go along with his orders anyway and Thor should be grateful that Beldar would temporarily humor him.

Loki had never liked Beldar. Thor had never liked him either for that reason, but now, years too late, he could see why.

“Perhaps a change in environment,” Fenelle suggested. “Kaiser has been fighting on the front lines for so long… It would not be remiss to re-accustom him to civilian life.”

Some elders began to nod. Kylan smiled genially. “I have a suggestion! Why not send him to Maple World?”

Instantly, the nods stopped. One elder frowned and said, “Send him to another dimension? But that’s…”

“Magnus has been defeated. It’s only the stragglers that are left,” Kylan said. “I’m sure Cartalion’s forces can clean that up quite nicely without putting our hero to work. And yes, true, Maple World is far and we do not have much knowledge of it, but that’s the beauty of it! My research team especially is looking to further establish contact in order to study the nature of dimensional travel and coexistence. And who better than our hero, Kaiser, to leave a good impression on Maple World’s inhabitants? We all know he is strong enough to handle whatever monsters exist there.”

Thor stared. Setting aside the fact that they were talking about him like he wasn’t even there, Kylan’s suggestion came out of nowhere. It couldn’t possibly go through. The council’s rampant paranoia and dependency on their hero far outweighed—

“That idea has merit.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to have a few more allies in case another enemy attacks…”

“Yes, who better to represent the Nova than our hero?”

“Hmm…” Beldar stroked his beard. “All in favor?”

The majority rose their hands.

Beldar nodded. Then, he turned to Thor. “Kaiser, are you willing to take on this task of journeying to the Maple World and strengthening our ties with their powers?”

Again, as if he could say no. Thor opened his mouth.

While everyone was busy staring at him, Kylan winked.

“…Yes, I will.”

“Then, meeting adjourned. For the glory of Nova!”

“For the glory of Nova!” echoed the council.

They departed soon after.

Fenelle, however, paused as if she wanted to say something. She stood a few feet from him, but no more as the kindly, old grandmother he had once thought of her as. Now he knew she would put her duty as a council member first and foremost before all else. Maybe at most she had been guardian of Thor, but of Kaiser, there was no such relation.

Thor wasn’t interested in entertaining her. He looked away.

She eventually bowed. “Peace to you, Kaiser.”

Thor nodded once. Soon after, she left, her soft footsteps echoing against the marble floor.

Kylan remained.

Thor still didn’t have much goodwill towards the council, but Kylan had done him a favor speaking for him. He would remember that.

“Kaiser,” Kylan said, “May we speak? Somewhere a little more private.”

Thor inclined his head. “Lead the way.”

They stepped out of the chamber. The Great Temple of Pantheon had many halls, serving as not only a place of worship but a center of political power. The pristine white was near blinding in direct opposition to Thor’s dark garb, but everyone they passed bowed respectfully without a lick of criticism towards his lack of formal dress.

That was Kaiser, after all. A being more close to the goddess than any Nova could get. He could wear whatever he pleased and it wouldn’t be disrespectful.

Thor didn’t grimace outwardly. He merely sighed. In the past, this had been the life he’d dreamed of—the life he would inevitably have given to him on a silver platter. How his former self would laugh now if he told him he dreaded every moment of it!

Kylan led him into one of the little-used side rooms used for entertaining guests. Plush chairs with a table in between, a dressing table, and paintings on the wall. One in particular a dragon raising its curved horns to the stars seemed to hold his eye for a long time.

“I’m sorry,” was the first thing Kylan said. “It’s been hard on you.”

Thor took a seat. “For the glory of Nova,” he muttered.

Kylan smiled sympathetically. “Yes. We all must do what we must for the future of Nova. I don’t regret it, because otherwise we would've still been living in fear of Magnus, but…”

Thor looked away. “It’s hard,” he said.

“Yes. It’s hard.”

A beat passed.

Thor said, “Why did you suggest that? In the meeting.”

“Like Fenelle said, a change in scenery.” When Thor didn’t smile, Kylan looked down. “Truthfully…there is one thing you must know. It’s about…Angelic Buster.”

Thor looked up.

In a low voice, Kylan confessed, “She’s not dead.”

It took less than a second to grab him by the front of his robe and slam him into the wall. Thor’s tail lashed. He pinned Kylan up, far superior in strength and size, and growled, “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“Y…you believe me?”

“Do you have reason to lie?”

“N…no! I don’t!”

Thor dropped him. Kylan coughed, panting for breath.

“Tell me everything,” he commanded.

Immediately, Kylan did. “That day…when we used our last resort to push back the invasion. Back when it all started. Angelic Buster, she fought Magnus, and pushed him back.”

“I know all that already. In case you’ve forgotten, I was there.”

“She fainted after. Do you remember what the council officially said?”

“Exhaustion,” Thor said testily, “quickly followed by death. Normal Nova aren’t meant to wield the power of true dragon blood. You sacrificed my brother to be her vessel, and you dared to lie to me about it.”

Kylan closed his eyes, ashamed. “Yes. We did.”

“And did you lie about this, too?”

“As far as they know, they didn’t.” Kylan looked up. “I was the one who tended to her, you know, in her exhausted state. She said your name. She cried for you. It broke my heart to know she wouldn’t live the night.”

Thor shoved him back against the wall and pulled back his fist, about to punch him, but before it landed, Kylan stopped him with his words.

“But she did. Night passed and dawn came, and she _did_. She _lived_.”

“Where,” Thor said.

“I couldn’t let the council have her. Never had there been a normal Nova to wield the true dragon blood and live past the night—it is power we are not meant to have, power that descends directly from our ancestors, the dragons of the goddess. In mortal hands, that power… You who have it, know.

"When she woke, we discovered her powers had been immensely weakened and her memories scattered. She would not be able to defend herself. She couldn’t stay. So I sent her to the Maple World and bid her hide, hoping she could regain her strength there, or at least live a better life.”

Thor let him go a second time. He turned on himself, pacing around the room until finally, he collapsed on one of the chairs.

His voice cracked. “Why didn’t you tell me.”

“I was selfish,” Kylan said, closing his eyes. “I was cruel. Desperate and unkind. Paranoid and rash, with the impulse to use whatever means necessary. I succumbed to fear… We needed you. What were we to do if our hero left us? What were the Nova to do without Kaiser? I do not beg for your forgiveness because I do not deserve it, but at least in this way, I hope, I can at least make amends.”

Thor was silent.

It was a long time before either of them spoke.

“You said she doesn’t remember?” Thor asked.

“All scrambled,” Kylan said. “Bits and pieces…of Pantheon, of the Nova. And…of Heliseum, which as you know should be impossible if she was—”

“That’s fine,” Thor said. He stood.

“What…do you intend to do now?”

“I’ll find her, obviously. Even if she isn’t my brother, she’s at least an ancient dragon god. Maybe she’ll know a way to bring him back.” Thor eyed him. “Will you stop me?”

“No,” Kylan said. “As I said before, I only hope to right the wrongs we’ve done to you. If that is your wish, I will do everything in my power to see it happen…Kaiser.”

Then he bowed deep, falling onto one knee as his tail coiled at his feet, and bent his head low until his horns pointed towards the marble ground. The ultimate act of submission for a Nova—obeisance to their lord.

Thor knew he would be loyal.

“I leave Pantheon in your hands,” he said. “Serve it well…as you have before.”

* * *

Thor perused the worn map in his hands.

North to Perion. West to Kerning City. South to Henesys. East to Ellinia…

He had nothing to go on, technically speaking. Kylan did not know where Angelic Buster was—only that she was somewhere in this dimension. The map Thor held was only a small portion of it: a continent called Victoria Island, no more than just that, an island, in the grand scheme of Maple World.

She might not even be here. On the other hand, it was highly likely she _was_ here.

And if there was even a little bit of Loki in her…

There was only one place on this island Loki would go to first.

Thor rolled the map back up and carefully tucked it away. The forest was thick around him, unlike Pantheon’s, and the trees tall and steady like gods of a mountain. They rose from far below the earth and extended deep into the sky, watching, and with every step Thor took, their thousand leaves saw him, judged him, and allowed him pass, quiet as the drip of their amber sap.

Fragments of light broke through the tree line. The monsters peeked out from within their hollows, but ultimately stayed in place. This was a being they did not dare to cross. They could only bow and pray that the old god drifting among the trees did not notice them.

The old god slid an eye along the shadows before looking away, disinterested. Upon his back, the dragon emblem on his heavy sword pulsed once with an eerie red light.

The monsters shuddered and retreated further into the foliage.

“Mm?” Thor turned. His hand reached for the hilt of his blade. Instead of drawing it, however—

“Kaiserium?” he asked. “Did you wake up?”

But there was no reply.

It was disappointing, but he hadn’t expected any. The spirit of the Kaiserium, the blade passed down from the first Kaiser, had served as his mentor and guide ever since he went through the inheritance ceremony five years ago. He’d said he needed to rest for a long time after the battle with Magnus. Thor doubted that meant anything less than several years.

…It was a little lonely.

Well, if all went well, he’d have Loki back. He would tell his brother all he missed. And…he would listen, too, to everything _he_ had missed.

Both in the past, and now in the present.

Thor trekked on. The path steadily grew thinner, leading up into the trees by way of their branches. Old wooden ladders and bridges marked the passage of travelers long ago, some with wood etched into the posts: _onward to Ellinia_ , one read, and another, _beware the slimes_.

He ascended. Each branch could comfortably fit only a person, but they were thick and steady as walking upon the forest floor. Above he could see the manmade paths and the dips and twists where one branch crossed the other, the combination forming an aerial maze spanning as far as the eye could see. Each giant tree served as a column to uphold the gnarled web, and he could no more identify their end than their beginning.

…At least there were signs.

Evening dimmed the forest further. The fireflies came out. Their lazy glow led him down the branches until finally, he reached a hollow made of bramble and fern. At the side hung a large bell-shaped flower, and within its pistil glowed a steady source of light.

 _Ellinia_ , the sign read. _Home of the mages_.

Thor stepped through.

Ellinia glowed. Fairy lights lit the paths crisscrossing through the trees. Bridges spanned the branches leading from one house to the next, the moss-covered clay structures blending in with the trunks that held them half recessed into the wood. The town seemed to go on higher and higher, without a peak in sight.

In the distance, the sound of people. Thor relaxed. Civilization at last.

First, he should find a place to stay. Or eat.

The pub was easy to find. Several people looked at him curiously, but none were malicious, and if they were, the large, leathery wings that appeared from the darkness did well to scare them off, if not the sword upon his back. Thor found a seat at the bar. In addition to a roof over his head and a bed to sleep, he hoped to find some information.

The bartender was humanoid, but that was where similarities ended. Two translucent wings fluttered behind her, and her ears were pointed. She was small and dainty from the width of her shoulders to her smile, a little tight at the corners. Thor assumed she'd had a busy night.

He ordered something at random and listened.

"All the monsters in the forest have been pretty subdued lately," he heard from a nearby table. "I was hunting Lupins earlier, and I could barely find two."

"Hope nothing's bad afoot," another remarked.

"Hey Dr. Betty, you know anything?"

Thor glanced back. A woman with her hair tied back in a tight ponytail pushed up her glasses. "It's certainly abnormal. My researchers have been struggling to collect any samples. I'm afraid I can't say anything conclusive yet."

"Man, what a pain," the first complained. "How are us adventurers supposed to make a living like this?"

"Maybe…you think they're scared of something?"

"Scared?" A snort. "Yeah, sure. Of what?"

"Well, what if it's…the Black Mage."

The table and those surrounding it fell silent. Thor perked his ears.

"Don't talk nonsense," another adventurer finally said. "Do you really think the Black Mage would come _here_? Ellinia's the only region in Victoria Island that's been affected! You don't see anyone from Henesys talking about a decrease in monster sightings."

"That's to be expected. Henesys has Athena Pierce, after all."

"And _we_ have Grendel the Really Old!"

The conversation quickly devolved into an argument about whether archers or mages were the better class. Thor lost interest. At some point his food came, a dish filled with bright colors and greens. The meat was some hearty type of steak, and the ale had a slight citrus taste to it.

It had been at least a week since he'd had his last meal cooked in an actual kitchen. Thor scarfed it down before he could even properly begin to enjoy it.

"Hey, that guy over at the bar. Doesn't that remind you of..."

"Yeah, now that you mention it...those aren't fairy wings..."

That'd been about him. Thor paused. He shouldn't get his hopes up. But if it was possible—

Just as he was about to turn and find the table to ask them what they meant, someone sat down beside him.

"Hello."

Thor looked over. It was the woman they'd called Dr. Betty. She smiled, friendly, but not over-much. There was a focused air about her that reminded Thor of the researchers back at home whenever they were captivated by a particularly interesting problem.

"I thought you could use a bit of company. You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, I'm not," Thor said. "How could you tell?"

"Well, from one non-native to another, you don't exactly look like a magician," she said, her smile turning wry. "I'm Dr. Betty. I study the relation between monsters and their habitat in Ellinia forest. And you are?"

"Kaiser. Defender of Pantheon, Protector of the Nova race." Thor took a bite of his steak. He was hungry. "Wielder of the dragon blade, Kaiserium. Slayer of the Tyrant Magnus. Etcetera."

"Ah," Dr. Betty said. From the expression on her face, she clearly hadn't understood any of that.

The Maple World's connection to Grandis, the dimension in which Pantheon existed, was thin even from this side it seemed. If a researcher so close to the portal didn't know about it, there was a slim chance anyone else would know, either.

What she said next surprised him, however.

"So a hero," Dr. Betty concluded.

"In not so many words, yes."

"We _do_ get a lot of those around these parts." She ordered a drink for herself. "What brings you to Ellinia, Kaiser?"

"I'm looking for someone," Thor said casually.

"Oh, is that so? A friend or a foe?"

"An acquaintance. Hopefully, a friend." Thor paused. And then, quietly, he added, "I seek her aid, though she owes me nothing, and hope at least in intentions, we are friends."

Dr. Betty considered him. She accepted her drink from the bartender, took a sip, and said, "Have you come a long way for this 'hopefully, a friend'?"

"Yes, but not further than she. You could say I'm guessing from what I think I know of her." Thor smiled despite himself. The thought of Loki, pouring book over book on magic in the temple library, filled him with fondness. "She has a great love for magic. Always wanted to be a mage growing up. We used to say she spent her entire childhood in the library."

"I can respect that. When I was a child, I used to always beg my mentor, Winston, to take me out on his digs. There was nowhere else I'd rather be," Dr. Betty remarked. "You say what you _think_ you know of her, but from what I can hear, that's quite a lot."

"Perhaps," Thor said. He took another bite, chewed somewhat listlessly, and then swallowed. The glass of ale was cold in his hands. "But it's been years. What I know may no longer be true anymore, if it was ever."

"Hmm." Dr. Betty stared at him. She didn't bother hiding the weight of her gaze, and Thor made no move to stop her.

Finally, after she seemed to find what she was looking for, she asked, "Would you say...around five years or so?"

Thor looked up from his ale.

"I think you overheard the discussion on the monsters' abnormal behavior as of late," she continued, not batting an eye over the implication that she knew he'd been eavesdropping earlier, "I've been studying in Ellinia for over 14 years. This has only happened once before—five years ago, when a young lady appeared in town."

It had to be her. There was no one else it could be.

"I thought she must've been sent by the goddess Rhine at first. There was something otherworldly about her—something divine. You have that same air about you, too, you know." Dr. Betty smiled. "I've seen a lot of heroes in my day, but I still wanted to make sure. That young lady's become a part of the town. Sorry for testing you."

Perhaps his surprise had shown on his face.

He hadn't really had any expectations to begin with, but hearing how Angelic Buster—how maybe, _Loki_ —had found a new life here was…he couldn't really describe it. It made those five years even more realistic.

Bittersweet, Thor settled on. Happy that Loki found people that cared about him. Jealous that it had happened without him—in spite of him.

They hadn't been that close those last years, but…

Maybe the conversation with Kylan _had_ given him expectations, in the end. At least about his importance to her, that stranger he could not help but think of as some form of his younger brother.

It was a little hard to say. Thor smiled.

"Thank you," he said.

"Hmm." Dr. Betty eyed him. "Well, I hope things work out for you. We all need a little bit of good in these trying times…

"Angelic Buster lives on the outskirts of town, next to the big bluebell a bit of a drop from the potion shop. Speaking of which, my researchers and I are living close by. If you need anything, feel free to ask for Dr. Betty from any of the residents—they'll point you in the right direction. Good night, Kaiser."

She rose. But before she left, Dr. Betty paused and said, "Oh, and I would hide those, if I were you."

Then she left, waving goodbye to the others who shouted their farewells.

Thor turned back around. The bartender smiled kindly at him.

"Another drink?" she asked.

"Actually," Thor said, "Could you point me in the direction of an inn I could stay at?"


	2. Chapter 2

The first and last time he'd seen Angelic Buster was five years ago.

They'd been losing. The troops had been tired, and he'd been running purely on adrenaline and the high of his recent inheritance. Their only saving grace was that Magnus wasn't at full power, either—but they'd been losing still, and victory seemed like a distant dream.

Then, she appeared.

He remembered the moment Magnus realized. He remembered himself, eyes wide, staring at the column of light swirling in the middle of the battlefield. Any monster that touched it was instantly evaporated. And when it faded—

They called her, 'The Wings of Nova'.

She was the highest of them all, the vessel of the ancient, nameless dragon god. Bright and shining, with the pink tint of sunrise spilling from the end of her weapon, she would blow away all the enemies of the Nova and win for them the glory of a new dawn.

But just like a firefly, her light would flicker out. A temporary solution to a bleeding problem. No Angelic Buster would live more than a day; that was the price for their explosive power.

Wings translucent like a dragonfly; full horns a pale, ghastly blue; no tail. Even their appearance was otherworldly to the Nova, as if they were the manifestation of the fragile soul, not meant to live in this world.

She wore the colors of the holy—white and gold. The Nova's ultimate trump card.

But when Thor saw her then, the first thing he inexplicably thought of was his brother.

And again—

"Kaiser is more of a hero than you'll ever be!"

_"The only one allowed to insult my brother is me!"_

It sounded exactly the same this time around.

The Kaiserium pulsed beneath his grip.

"Angelic Buster, what are you—"

But she didn't stop. "Take a look around," she commanded, tossing her long, dark hair over her shoulder as she spoke to the masses.

Around them, the spectators who had originally been murmuring words of agreement fell silent. Not even the trees dared to speak; in fact, compared to them, Angelic Buster's presence stood even higher, as if the world were the pedestal on which she stood upon. 

"Is everyone with wings a demon?"

The people shifted uncomfortably, falling shamefaced and silent, and there were many. Ellinia during the night could not compare to how busy it was during the day, and that combined with the ruckus invariably drew quite the—now guilty—crowd.

Thor hadn't intended to be the star of a public execution, of course—he hadn't even started it. He'd been innocently following Dr. Betty's instructions after waking up that morning, but lo and behold, trouble had found _him_.

Clearly, however, the solution had also found him. And, he knew he was supposed to be offended, or at the very least paying attention to the one defending him so zealously, but.

The solution sounded a _lot_ like Loki.

"What about the fairies of Ellinia? Of Orbis? Are they, who have suffered as much at the hands of the Black Mage as you, also demons?"

The adventurer who had made the accusation hung his head.

Angelic Buster continued. "When you look at the neighbors you've known your entire life in fear, for no other reason than the appendages on their back, or the color of their skin, or the markings on their face—is that what you call justice?"

In just a moment's notice, her words had turned the opinion of the crowd to her side. But she did not stop there.

Pushing her dark cloak over her shoulder, Angelic Buster spread her own wings. They seemed even more fragile under the swaying forest light, shimmering and illusive in all their holy glory.

"Am I also a demon?" she asked, knowing not a soul would reply.

After a moment, she said, "The world has been shattered because of the Black Mage. He _wants_ you to breed hatred and fear, because that is how he wins—separating us, picking us off piece by piece. But at least in this, no matter weak or strong, we can fight it. As long as we, the Maple World, stand united, there's still a chance for us!

"So think a little more before you open your mouth and speak."

Then, she turned around, grabbed Thor's hand, and began to pull him away. Naturally, no one stopped them.

They walked until they were out of sight from everyone else. Then, Angelic Buster pushed him behind a building and shoved her face in front of his.

Dark hair, green eyes, crooked nose and a sharp chin—the ghost of his brother, lovely and _real_ , stunned him for a moment. 

Her finger jabbed at his chest. Thor tried not to squirm, but his wings were being squished—

Her glare sharpened. On second thought, better to not say anything.

"What were you thinking?!" she hissed. "Why are your wings out? Can't you at least pay a little more attention to the current political climate? You could've caused an interdimensional disaster with those things!"

"'Current political climate'?" parroted Thor incredulously. And then, "Wait, weren't you the one preaching to fight against discrimination just now—"

"That doesn't mean you should go around inviting trouble to yourself! Our wings look too much like a demon's— _especially yours_ ; they're way too big. Of course people are going to be pointing their swords at you—it's like you're wearing a sign that says 'Hello, my name is Demon. I bear a striking resemblance to one of the Black Mage's commanders who killed millions of people, and probably people you know are on that list. Come take revenge on me'!"

Her face pinched and twisted as she mocked him. Thor could've kissed her cheeks and called her 'brother' right then and there.

Naturally, because he was an idiot, he instead said, "How was I supposed to know that?"

"Ugh!"

Angelic Buster fell back onto her heels. It was only then that he realized she'd been straining on the tip of her toes speaking to him.

He'd grown in leaps and bounds during the past five years. Not only naturally, but also due to the growth spurt after his inheritance ceremony. Was Loki really only that tall? He used to be just a few inches shorter than Thor. But now…

"You big, muscle-headed oaf—why do I even try talking to you?"

Thor swallowed.

_"Thor, you brute!" Loki shouted, bristling. "Don't touch that, you'll break it!"_

The images merged. It was the same.

"Lo—"

He never had the time to finish. Angelic Buster grabbed his hand again and pulled him around to the front of the building.

 _Ellinia Weapon Store_ , the sign read. He caught a glimpse as he was bodily dragged inside.

The temperature inside was several degrees higher than outside. A furnace was running in the back of the shop. Thor saw several suits of armor and swords decorating the walls. On the main floor of the shop were mannequins dressed in magician's wear—robes and dresses and long skirts, mostly—alongside several racks with lighter clothing. Display tables with various wands appeared beside their respective set, arranged based on approximate skill level of the user.

He gravitated towards one of them. Though he had used Kaiserium since the beginning, Thor still took an interest in weapons of all kinds. The wands were surprisingly sturdy despite how delicate they seemed.

He lifted one. Thin and blue with a sapphire serving as a focal point.

 _Mithril Wand_ , the tag read. _38,000 mesos_.

"May I help you with anything, sir?"

Thor looked up. A petite fairy dressed in blue smiled cautiously at him, a rather far distance away for talking to someone.

"Perhaps looking for a gift for someone?" she prompted.

"Ah, no—"

"We're looking for a cloak for him," said Angelic Buster. She'd walked over from, indeed, a rack of cloaks. "Do you have anything bigger, Flora?"

"Oh! Angelic Buster!" The fairy looked between the two. Her eyes widened in realization, and this time when she smiled, she seemed a little relieved. "Sorry about that. Certainly. I'll go ask my sister. Be right back!"

Thor set the wand down. "Am I really that scary?"

"You are," Angelic Buster said, coming into step beside him. "They don't have any races like the Nova here. And…people are kind, but cautious to outsiders. Grandis isn't the only dimension embroiled in war."

"Was," Thor said quietly.

She looked up.

"It was," he said. "Not anymore."

Before she could reply, they were interrupted. Flora came back, accompanied by a fairy dressed identically to her, only in pink.

"Hello," she said, and then towards Thor, she introduced herself before lifting the neatly folded cloth in her hands and saying, "This is the largest size we have—do you mind trying it on?"

Fortunately, it fit, and the length was good, but Angelic Buster hummed inconclusively and squinted at him. Thor looked down at himself. The royal blue was alright on its own, but on him—

Almost simultaneously, they turned to the shopkeepers and said, "Do you have this in a different color?"

The fairies blinked. "What color would you like?"

"Red." "Green."

Angelic Buster scowled. "Red? What about that spells 'discrete' to you?"

"Green is _not_ my color." Then, he gave her own cloak—a mossy green—a flat, pointed look. "It'd make me look like a slime."

" _Excuse me_?"

Eventually, they settled on a dark shade of burgundy.

Flora took their coin at the counter. She beamed at them. "I didn't know you had a partner, Angelic Buster!"

Thor stiffened. Before he could correct her, Angelic Buster said,

"Mmm, he's visiting from out of town."

"Ooh, childhood sweethearts?"

"Something like that."

Thor opened his mouth…only to immediately close it again when Angelic Buster stepped on his foot.

"Ow!"

As if he hadn't made a sound, she continued. "Forgive him; he's a little clueless—our home town’s kind of a backwater place."

The fairy nodded sympathetically. "I totally get that. Ellinel was the _exact_ same way. They wouldn't let us interact with humans at all!"

They shared twin sighs.

This time, the one Flora smiled at was him. "Ellinia's a pretty big town, but you'll get used to it! The people here are pretty nice once you get to know them. I'm sure you'll pick things up in no time!"

Thor, who had just been designated a country bumpkin despite being a member of the second most advanced race in all of Grandis, winced. The foot on top of his pressed down in warning.

"Thanks," he said, smiling tightly.

"Sure thing. Come again soon!"

* * *

He remembered why he and Loki hadn't gotten on so well before now.

Mainly, because his little brother was a _little brat_.

"Why'd you say that back there?" Thor demanded. "Now everyone's going to say that we're—that I'm some clueless idiot!"

"Oh, and you aren't?"

Thor's tail lashed. He could wring her neck right now.

Angelic Buster's lips twitched.

"You know, for a legendary hero, you sure do lose your cool rather quick, Kaiser." Her eyes slid away. "Or maybe I just hit a nerve?"

Thor stopped. He stared. Angelic Buster's back as she casually walked away merged with another back, and unbidden, it was Loki's sickly sweet voice that said,

_"My, big brother, what are you angry at really?_

_"Them?_

_"Or the fact that you have a useless—_

_"Little—_

_"Brother—_

_"Like—_

_"Me?"_

"No!" Thor shouted.

Angelic Buster turned around in surprise.

"I mean…" he trailed off. His thoughts spun. Loki, Loki, Loki, Loki—but Loki was dead. Or was he?

Angelic Buster laughed and it made him feel sick inside.

"What, did it bother you that much? Got a sweetheart waiting for you back home in Pantheon? I was just joking, you know. No need to get your tail all in a twist."

But his gut told him right now, she wasn't joking at all.

He knew why he felt that way. But what if it had been him all along impressing the image of Loki onto her, seeing things that weren't there at all? Wouldn't Loki have said something by now? Wouldn't he have confessed?

Wouldn't he have come back home to _Thor_ a long time ago, if he was alive, if he'd lived, if he _remembered_ …

An unbearable yearning struck his heart. If only he’d had the chance to apologize for all the wrongs he’d done. If only he’d had the chance to make amends—to tell his brother he loved him, that there was no force in the universe that could make Thor _stop_ loving him, that nothing else mattered but that…

Maybe then, Loki would’ve come back to him, all on his own.

"Kaiser?"

Angelic Buster's hand came to press against his temple. She frowned and rocked back.

"You don't look so good…"

"I don't," he said.

"…Well I'm glad that you agree with me, so—"

"I don't have anyone," he clarified, "waiting for me. In Pantheon."

She stopped.

"Waiting for Kaiser, maybe," he added quietly, like an afterthought. "But no one's waiting for Thor."

Neither of them spoke for a long time.

A hand touched his shoulder. Thor looked at her.

"My house's that way," Angelic Buster said, soft, and motioned with her other hand. "Come on."

* * *

He felt in a daze the entire time.

The route itself was a blur. All he remembered was Angelic Buster’s gentle hands coaxing him forward, leading him through the doorway, telling him to take off his boots, pulling away his cloak and taking him up the stairs.

At the top of the loft was a pile of furs and cushions arranged in a soft, downy circle. There was a dip in the middle just big enough for a small body to curl up inside. When Angelic Buster began to widen the space, shifting around pillows and tugging away some of the quilts, Thor realized what it was.

A nest.

Two hands on his back pushed him in. Thor went willingly.

It had been so long since he’d made his own nest he almost forgot how to settle in. That didn’t seem to matter, however. The quilts she took out settled upon him again, a surprisingly heavy yet comforting weight, and when she lead him to lie upon his side, his body remembered again, and he curled up into a round ball.

Thor breathed in. The scent was foreign and familiar all at once; scents he now associated with the Maple World, and beneath it all, strong now in the center of the nest, was something he had not smelled for a long, long time.

Loki…

Instinctively, he reached out and pulled one of the cushions to his chest, burying his face in it to try and reach his brother again. The scent was much stronger, almost like Loki had laid his head upon it every night. Thor could’ve cried.

All the tension that had accumulated from years of fight or flight drained from his body in waves. He felt the mattress dip beneath him, but for once, Thor let it go.

Loki’s nest—he’d finally found it.

It felt like coming home.

* * *

Thor woke to the sound of sizzling on the stove and the smell of bacon in the air.

Slowly, he unfurled and lifted his head. He felt like he’d been living in a daze this entire time, and finally, _finally_ , clarity returned. His head felt lighter and his body looser than it had in years.

Light from the window cascaded across the floorboards of the loft. Thor looked out and across.

It was like a miniature garden. Hanging plants, pots small and large on the windowsill and floor…the greenery was rampant but also well-kept. He spied a watering can in the shape of a snail sitting on one of the end tables.

It almost looked like a hoard.

Angelic Buster was in the kitchen, her back to Thor. Somehow, the sight of her didn’t muddle his head so much anymore. The ache in his chest wasn’t gone, per se, but it had lessened to a more bearable amount, and…

The distinction between her and Loki was easier to see now.

For one, Thor thought wryly, his brother didn’t know how to cook in the least.

He set down the pillow still in his arms and felt a little embarrassed. Of course it smelled like Loki—he was the vessel for the dragon god, after all—but that didn’t mean this nest was _Loki’s_. And stealing a stranger’s bed wasn’t exactly the best guest-like behavior.

“Awake?”

Thor looked up. She must’ve heard him—heightened senses were a trait of the true dragon blood.

“Ah,” he paused, suddenly not knowing how to speak. His earlier behavior—

“Come down. It’s not breakfast anymore, but I figure you must not have eaten that, either.”

True. Thor coughed and extracted himself from the pile of warm furs as carefully as possible. The steps to the loft creaked as he walked down and put back on his boots.

Eggs, bacon, fresh bread with butter and a sweet red jam, sausages, oatmeal topped with fruit, and a kettle of tea—she’d made a lot, he realized. The plates filled the table. Well, Thor had the appetite of three soldiers normally, so it was fine, but…

“It’s delicious,” he said courteously.

Angelic Buster hummed to herself, looking pleased. “Naturally.”

But she didn’t say anything else. Thor inwardly frowned. He wanted to start a conversation somehow, at least to dispel how awkward he felt, but. Actually.

Thor didn’t realize how hungry he was until he’d started eating and couldn’t stop.

When he finally took a breather to wash it all down with tea, his eyes happened to land on Angelic Buster’s plate. She’d somehow managed to gracefully eat almost as much as him and now sat back, a contented expression on her lovely face as she took slow, lazy sips from her mug.

The legends always said how beautiful Angelic Buster was. No two descriptions were alike, of course, as there was the matter of the vessel, but they all seemed to agree that there was an aura and composure about her that caught the eye and stole the soul from it. The allure of a celestial.

But that wasn’t quite right? She was lovely, doubtlessly, but lovely in the same way his brother was—the dichotomy of a refined air fused with a lackadaisical attitude.

The nameless dragon god…one of the twelve celestial dragons. Thor remembered that power on the battlefield. How he felt, overcome with an urge to drop to a knee and bow his head low in submission before the god’s vessel…he’d understood the legends then, viscerally.

How odd. That feeling was completely absent now. Maybe because they weren’t fighting?

“How long has it been,” she suddenly asked, “since you’ve made a nest?”

Nova children were prone to making nests and hoarding objects that interested them. It gave them great comfort, but it was a habit they grew out of as they turned to teenagers and then adults. Thor was normal in this respect, but somehow, her tone made him feel sheepish at the fact.

“Not since I was a child,” he said, hesitant.

She frowned. “How reckless. Didn’t anyone teach you?”

“How to make a nest?”

“ _To_ nest. To hoard.”

When all Thor gave her was a blank look, she sat up and set down her mug. “The true dragon blood. The instinct to nest? To hoard? To claim territory? Higher metabolism?”

“You act like you’re trying to jog my memory,” said Thor.

“Is it working?” she asked seriously.

“No. I’ve never heard of any of this from anyone.”

“Just _what_ did they teach you?” she demanded. “Did all they do was work you like a dog? Honestly, no wonder you were half dead when I found you. I’m surprised you were even functioning at all.”

He considered refuting that and then cringed. “Eh, well… _functioning_ is a rather optimistic way to put it…”

Angelic Buster gave him a flat, unamused look. _Yes_ , it seemed to say, _clearly. I know._

She stood up. Thor blinked in surprise.

“Up,” she commanded. “Back to the nest.”

“Wait, I feel perfectly fine now—”

“You slept for two hours. That isn’t _nearly_ enough! Up. Now.”

In the end, Thor was pushed back into the nest.

He tried not to conspicuously inhale for a breath of Loki’s scent. It was embarrassing enough how he was affected; no need to make her think he was some kind of creepy pervert, too.

Angelic Buster sat down on the mattress beside him. There was a split second of disappointment—like she should be here, next to him, _inside_ —but it didn’t consume him anymore, and Thor quickly shoved it away. Unreasonable.

“Will you tell me?” he asked quietly. “What am I supposed to know?”

She must’ve experienced this a million times. He felt…small, all of a sudden. Like he had been woefully unprepared.

“Do you know the story of our origin?” she asked.

In the beginning, the goddess was accompanied by her messengers, the twelve celestial dragons. When she gave life to Grandis, scattering the races across the world, she created the Nova as a reward for her dragons’ services, and made them the patron gods of the Nova.

“…They’re our ancestors. That’s why we look like them and can inherit their blood—the true dragon’s blood,” he recited.

But the presence of the celestial dragons slowly faded over time. They became guardian statues for the goddess, mere stars in the sky, and any chance to recover their names was lost with the burning of the great library of Heliseum. The religion honoring only the goddess overtook the pantheon of the dragons…

Angelic Buster spoke in slow, rhythmic tones, as if this was a story she’d been told and was merely reciting it herself.

“In the end, the true dragon’s blood became synonymous for the celestial dragons’ power, but in truth, it’s the bridge between them and the Nova. Possessing it changes us, brings us closer to them. Not wholly Nova nor celestial, those whose blood blends with the true dragons exist in the realm between…” she closed her eyes. “My mentor told me that. The closer we are to the celestials, the more of their natures we inherit.”

“Like nesting and hoarding?”

“Yes. We grow melancholic without it. Dragons aren’t so sedentary as much as they like to claim territory. Nests and hoards are their way of making their own sanctuary—safe spaces to protect and call home. A dragon without a hoard is…well, lost, I suppose.”

Thor looked at the greenery adorning the house. “You know, I used to hoard plants when I was little. I’d find one in the forest I liked and would dig it up and bring it home. Pot it myself and raise it. Beldar would get terribly mad at me. Said I was always trekking in too much dirt.”

Angelic Buster laughed softly. “I can imagine.”

She paused. And then,

“I knew someone who loved them. Myself, I like gems, really—minerals, things that shine.”

Thor finally saw—mixed in with the plants were shelves with a variety of geodes and ores, carefully arranged and labelled.

“But I guess it felt too empty still,” she said. “My mentor told me that sometimes, we take on the hoards of the people we miss. That it reminds us of them, and it brings us comfort. I guess that’s true.”

“…You must miss that person a lot,” Thor said. It wasn’t just one or two or three plants—her home was full of them.

He could understand. The things of the people they’d left behind…as long as you had it, it’d be like having a piece of them always with you, too.

But he had nothing of Loki. Everything had been removed or destroyed—like he’d never even been there in the first place.

 _The vessel cannot have any material goods tying him back to this plane,_ they’d said.

Thor had punched them in the face.

“I guess I do,” she said. She smiled at him, sad and wistful all at once. Thor’s heart stuttered. “But it’s alright. He and I weren’t meant to walk together, that’s all. I’m already satisfied.”

It felt like both a lie and the truth.

He tried to change the subject. “You…said you had a mentor?”

“Mmm,” she said, and held up her hand. There on her wrist was a bracelet glowing a soft, eerie blue—the same as her horns and her wings. “I…didn’t really know anything after…that. Bits and pieces, facts. Like I was supposed to know these things but didn’t know how or why. My mentor taught me everything, but he had to go away for a little while. I’ve been on my own since.”

“I’m glad you weren’t alone,” Thor said quietly. Maybe he couldn’t apologize to Loki, but…

She looked at him in surprise.

“And…for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. For what was done to you. And that you had to hide. None of that should have come to pass, but it did. I’m sorry.”

He could still apologize to her.

“…It wasn’t your fault,” she said.

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. The council was cruel, but they were cruel because I wasn’t strong enough. But Magnus was the one who invaded us. But the ones who let him were the traitors…we could go on.” Thor bowed his head. “You are owed an apology regardless. On the behalf of the Nova, I give you one.”

She placed a hand on his head, her fingers brushing his horns.

“Thank you,” she said simply, and then removed it.

Thor’s heart eased. Her expression carried no anger.

“What will you do from here?” she asked. “You never said why you were here in the first place.”

“I…” Thor paused.

He made a decision.

“I’m taking a vacation,” he decided.

“Vacation?”

“Yep. A vacation.”

She gave him an amused look. “And do you have anywhere you want to go on this…vacation?”

“Well, no,” Thor said, “But I have this town in mind…”

“Oh, do you?”

“Very scenic. Lovely views. Lots of trees.”

“Mmmhm.”

“People could be a little nicer, but I think I’m just misunderstood, you know? I’m sure I’ll pick things up in no time.”

She laughed. Thor grinned.

“I think I might’ve heard of that place before,” she said. “Have a place to stay in mind?”

“Not exactly.”

She smiled. “Well then, I suppose as a fellow Nova I’m obligated to take you in. Wouldn’t want you causing an interdimensional mishap, would we?”


	3. Chapter 3

Thor rested in the nest for several more hours, only rising when the sound of Angelic Buster returning from her errands woke him.

The large sack she brought back was laden with…fabric?

“Be right back!”

Thor watched her dart around the corner curiously. He reached the bottom of the loft.

“Do you want me to help you unpack?” he called after her.

“Yes please!”

Thor mentally shrugged and got to work. It didn’t take long to realize what her errands had been for—namely, for him.

The bag was full of bedding. Plush pillows and quilts good for another nest.

“…Victoria Island’s too temperate for the _good_ furs,” Angelic Buster was saying as she returned, “Luckily, I’ve got some from El Nath. Hunted them myself…Kaiser?”

Thor looked up. He didn’t…really know what to say.

Nests were intimate things. Children picked only their favorites to go into their nest, often taking pieces from their siblings and their parents, those closest to them, to further provide comfort and the feeling of safety. And even though nesting habits went away as they grew older, that meaning remained.

Gifts of bedding symbolized love, protection, sentiment and devotion.

It was generous enough that she’d let him borrow her nest—very personal bordering on indecent, reserved for _family_ —given, their circumstances weren’t exactly normal, and from how she was reacting, it had probably been an emergency—but.

With this, they really couldn’t be considered strangers anymore. Even the term ‘acquaintances’ would be remiss of him.

Thor cleared his throat. “Thank you,” he said.

Either she was Loki or she was trying to court him—one was dangerous to his state of mind and the other was far past into the realm of the absurd. Thor rather he entertained neither.

“I _do_ want my bed back tonight,” Angelic Buster said wryly.

Or she was being practical. That worked.

In order to keep out of foot traffic, they decided Thor would sleep on the floor of the loft beside Angelic Buster’s bed.

“Are you sure this is alright? I could sleep on the ground and clean up in the morning.”

Angelic Buster made a noise of disapproval. “It’s troublesome constructing a nest every night. Unless you snore like a balrog; then I’m afraid I’ll have to kick you out.”

And that settled that.

When Thor inspected the furs, he found they were of an extremely high quality—better than anything he’d ever seen in Grandis.

Angelic Buster looked pleased. “I hadn’t found a use for them before. Suppose this’ll do.”

Thor, amused, asked, “Do you have a closet full of rare items or something?”

The look on her face said _obviously._

“White fur doesn’t match the wood stain,” she explained.

Thor inclined his head. A fair point.

“It _does_ make a nice scarf for the winter, though.”

Thor worked on his nest while Angelic Buster started dinner. The one flaw, of course, was that since these furs had been kept in the closet, they hardly smelled like Loki at all—but the only solution would be asking Angelic Buster to scent them, and, well.

He tried even harder to ignore the fact that her nest probably smelled like _him_ now. If Angelic Buster was capable of graciousness befitting a saint, Thor could certainly make the attempt to match her. Everything was _fine_ and nothing was awkward and Thor had more grace than _this._

It was easier eating with her. How long had it been since he’d had this kind of companionship? When he was spoken to as a person and not a hero…

Probably—and oh, how it all rounded back again—not since Loki.

He watched her snuggle into her pile of blankets and furs like there was nothing more natural in the world. Her wings flexed before tucking behind her back as she buried her nose in a pillow, dark curls spilling over her eyes and face.

“Mmm…” she mumbled. “Good night, Kaiser.”

Thor swallowed. “Good night.”

The candle snuffed out. Now the only light came from the soft glow of the town filtering in through the window, but even that was too distant and dim. No, it must be—

Thor looked back over to the bed. Angelic Buster’s horns glowed a soft blue in the darkness. Even without the light, he could see her.

Small, lovely and soft—she seemed to ease to sleep in all but an instant. The haughty charm she wore so easily during the day was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t know which looked more like his Loki: her sharp, pinched up face, or the sleeping peace of now.

He owed her a lot, Thor realized. Nothing much had happened, really, to owe her as he did, but he knew for himself the weight of it in his heart. Even now, just for the chance to be like this, to be this tranquil, it was more than a simple word of thanks could express.

Loki, Loki, Loki. The guilt was still there, but if in his second life, his brother could live a life like this…could be free and unfettered as the wind and the stars, could look so contented while asleep, then…

 _“My brother, the hero,_ Kaiser _,” Loki mocked, “No place in this story for his brother, the mage with no magic.”_

_“You know I didn’t mean it like that. I only thought you’d prefer to spend time in the library like you always do—"_

_“Then why did you laugh?”_

_“…What?”_

_Loki’s eyes bore into his. Accusing him of a crime he’d never committed. Silent and piercing. This wasn’t the brother he knew. When had Thor ever laughed?_

_Just when had he laughed…_

Thor let out a shaky breath.

It was better this way. If his brother could be happier without him—

Then it was alright. He’d stop searching. He would ensure Loki could rest in peace…

Even if that meant going to a place Thor could not follow.

* * *

He woke with daybreak.

Normally even this was later than usual for Thor, but the house was warm and the quilts were soft and the furs were thick, plush, and too easy to sink into, so he made his excuses.

Once awake, however, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep.

He looked beside him. Angelic Buster slept easy still. She’d rolled over some time in the night; he could see the peek of her shoulder over the wall of furs. For a moment, all he did was watch the rise and fall of her breath.

Safe and sound. There was no danger here.

Well then. Old habits died hard. Thor rose, silently slipped down the steps, and took up Kaiserium.

The door hardly made a sound behind him.

He practiced until the glow of the flowers faded and the forest grew bright again, running through stretches first and then the familiar movements that kept his form sharp and his blade swift. At some point he took off his shirt and allowed the early morning breeze to cool his sweat; not the same as practicing on the high cliffs on the outskirts of Pantheon, but it would do.

He’d practiced just like this every day of his life, starting from when he’d been able to pick up a sword. Sometimes Kaiserium’s guiding voice would accompany him, other times he faded to the back and allowed Thor to find himself alone. Both ended the same way—the Kaiserium moving as if it were an extension of his arm, the dragon’s blood humming hot beneath his skin, ready to burst into flames at a moment’s notice.

Thor took a breath. Then, he let the fire twist from his palm to the heart of the blade.

“How diligent,” Angelic Buster remarked.

The fire went out. Thor glanced at her and nearly did a doubletake. She’d changed out of her night clothes into a suit that spilled like ink across her form, leaving her shoulders bare and dipping low at the chest. It was impossible for his gaze _not_ to linger.

Her mouth curled. She looked ready to pick a fight.

“Strength requires daily effort,” he said, turning away.

“Even after you’ve already won?”

“Especially after.” Thor paused. Quietly, he added, “It wouldn’t do to grow out of practice.”

“Diligent,” she remarked again. There was something tense in the air as she eyed him, rising sleek like a cat stalking its prey. “Care to have a bout with me?”

For some reason, his grip on the Kaiserium’s hilt tightened. The dragon’s blood swelled.

A challenge, Thor mused. But for what?

“It would be my honor.”

He swung with a hand and thrust Kaiserium into the ground. Angelic Buster, too, carried no weapon on her.

It would be a fair fight.

She moved, leaving nothing but an afterimage. Thor felt the air stir. He beat his wings and rolled with the punch, pushing himself back just enough to dodge the next one. But her blows came relentlessly—pushing, feinting, searching, he realized, for an opening.

Thor swung back. His tail whipped when he felt the air shift behind him, but she leapt, faster, and this time it was he who engaged her, testing, fishing, seeing how well she could do knocked off her feet.

Astoundingly well, as it turned out. Angelic Buster seemed made for the air. While many tried to keep balanced by keeping both feet on the ground, she barely needed to touch it. Twisting just out of reach, using his back as a springboard, taunting, featherlight, still testing, testing, testing…

He sped up his tempo in reply. _What,_ he wondered, _are you searching for?_

It didn’t feel like power. Not necessarily a contest of raw strength—Thor had had many of those in the past, and he always won.

This time, her kick was real. The force behind it surprised him.

“So this is what the true dragon’s blood gave you,” she mused. It didn’t seem to bother her that he’d caught her by the ankle.

He eyed her, measuring. Beneath his palms he felt the pulse of her own dragon’s blood, but it was different—sluggish, as if its power was being directed somewhere else. He could crush her so easily, he realized. Her body might’ve been sturdier than the normal Nova, but when compared to him, it was so fragile…

“Speed,” he surmised. “That’s what it gave to you?”

“No,” she said, “More.”

Then, it swelled. Thor only had a brief second to realize it; he dropped her foot immediately and just in time, too—the brush of power surged, coalescing into a dragon’s hungry maw as it followed through the arc of her kick.

Even though it had only clipped him, he knew instinctively how powerful it had been.

Strong, but weaker than before. Far weaker. And, it appeared, even just that had taken a lot out of her. Whatever was suppressing her blood…

“But that’s not what I want to test,” she said.

Thor fell back into his stance. “When you’re ready, then.”

She charged again and they traded blows. Her power might’ve been sealed, but her battle sense was extraordinary—something, he knew, gained only by way of constant battle, walking the line of life or death. The monsters surrounding Ellinia were weak, but Angelic Buster was strong; that could only mean she had traveled before, far and wide, looking for something…

No one knew how to fight like that without a goal.

He felt the shift in her intention near immediately. If she was getting serious, then out of respect for her, he would as well.

She was good. Strong. A warrior, certainly, and with the power of the true dragon’s blood, even suppressed as it was, she could defeat just about any Novan general on her own. Her style had been refined through battle and she had a good grasp of it, but there were still flaws that Thor could see and make use of.

Making use of one, he finally caught her and pinned her to the ground.

She heaved for breath beneath him. A halo of dark curls, flushed cheeks, and a taunting scent—but her eyes were sharp. If he gave her just one opening, he knew it would be him instead pinned to the ground.

She’d make a fearsome opponent one day. It was good they were on the same side.

“…I yield,” she finally said, and turned her face away, baring her neck.

Thor rose immediately. He extended a hand, and after a moment, she took it.

Angelic Buster smiled, but it didn’t seem particularly pleased. Thor had seen that look on his brother’s face a million times—when he was being lectured by Beldar, or belittled by a guard, or when Thor himself had said something that Loki, for whatever the reason, found distasteful to hear—he’d smile like that, and whoever was on the end of it generally didn’t have a happy time.

But Angelic Buster did nothing. In fact, her smile didn’t even seem directed at him. Her eyes were lowered, gaze inward, and Thor could no more stand that look on Loki’s face than he could stand it now on her’s.

He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. Squeezed.

“Good spar,” he said.

“Yes,” she echoed, “Good spar. You’re…strong.”

“Strength requires daily effort,” he said again, but this time it was softer. He tried to be encouraging but it was hard when he didn’t know exactly what she was upset about—it seemed more nuanced than defeat.

“Perhaps. But even then. Seems like…you’ve always been strong.” She shook her head. “Thank you for entertaining me.”

“…Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yes,” she answered softly, “I think so.”

Even as she said that, Thor thought she looked inexplicably sad.

“What exactly were you looking for, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“A confirmation, is all—of a decision I made a long time ago.”

Her hand covered his, and then, kindly, it squeezed and pulled it away. Thor didn’t know why, but it made him feel like he was losing something.

“Nothing to be concerned about. I wasn’t expecting a different result, in the end. I just…wondered.”

She walked a few steps away and stretched, wings spreading under the morning light.

“It’s actually a good thing! It’s not good to be stuck in the past all the time. I feel like…I can finally move on.”

Oh. _Oh_. So all this time, she’d been worried about Pantheon… Thor’s heart panged. Of course she would be. Losing her powers after a major battle and then being left to wonder for five years about what happened…with no news, no nothing…

No wonder she had trained so hard, just in case she was needed again. Just in case Thor needed her again.

But Thor was stronger now. He hoped now that he’d proven it, her worries could be put to rest. She should be able to live life as she liked, with nothing weighing down on her shoulders. But suddenly being left without a purpose must be hard…

Thor understood how it could be a little bittersweet.

Angelic Buster turned and smiled back at him.

“Shall we find breakfast? It’s day one of your vacation, after all.”

He felt a little proud of her.

“Lead the way,” Thor said. “But first, mind if I took a shower?”


	4. Chapter 4

The café was small, but quaint—almost like it had been made out of a house.

“Arwen lives upstairs,” Angelic Buster told him. She was still flipping through the menu despite the fact that she’d already decided what she wanted a good minute ago. “She makes the best croissants in all of Ellinia.”

“Fairy magic?” Thor asked, still taking a look himself.

Angelic Buster nodded sagely. “Fairy magic.”

“Victoria Island as a whole is saturated with magic,” she continued. “Everything from the water to the shape of the land possesses high concentrations of mana. This dimension is rich in ways Grandis is not, and the inhabitants respond accordingly. It’s fascinating when you think about it—the land gives them mana and they give mana back to the land: it’s a continuous cycle of equivalent exchange, but they’re able to perform it thoughtlessly, without so much as a ritual. The sheer amount of stamina that takes to sustain is—"

She stopped. Took a peek at him. Turned away. “Sorry,” she said stiffly. “This must bore you.”

One of the side tables broke out into loud laughter. Thor frowned.

“No,” he said, “I like hearing it. It’s something you enjoy, isn’t it? Magic.”

“…You don’t have to force yourself. It’s not like I’ll get angry, you know.”

But wasn’t it that she was all grumpy now? Thor smiled helplessly.

“Magic might not be my area of expertise, but I am being honest. I like hearing you talk.” And then, softly, he added, “It reminds me of my brother.”

“Oh,” she said. Paused. “Your brother?”

Thor closed the menu. “He loved magic. Could talk about it for hours. He’d have debated every researcher into the ground if he wanted to—smartest person I knew.”

“Knew?” she said.

That one took a little more effort to answer. Thor licked his lips. “My brother…used to get lost in his studies, all the time. He practically lived in the library at one point—me, I was always in the training grounds. Swords, weapons. Those sort of things. We were so different, but I loved it when he’d talk to me. Tell me about his studies. What sort of theory he’d come up this time around to prove them all wrong. At some point I stopped being able to understand him—but that was alright. He was always happiest when he started talking about magic…

“I lost him in the war.” Thor shrugged. “Just one of those things, I guess.”

Her expression was unreadable.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she finally said. “You…”

She seemed to struggle between asking and not asking. Thor genuinely didn’t know what he wanted—whether he’d be comfortable or not, to keep talking about Loki to _her_ , of all people. Maybe if he kept going, it would all spill out like a puncture in a cask. He already had so little left of Loki for himself; would even that slip through his fingertips if he allowed himself to speak, to reflect with someone and work through the complicated web of feelings he had for his brother?

But there was really no better person to talk about him to, in retrospect. Yes, who better than Angelic Buster herself…

He just didn’t know if he was ready. So instead of encouraging or dissuading her from the topic, Thor waited.

In the end, Angelic Buster did not pursue the topic. She wasn’t given the chance to.

“Angelic Buster!” A fairy dressed in yellow floated over to their table. “Good to see you. I was hoping you’d drop by. And who’s this?”

This must’ve been Arwen. She was small like the other fairies were, but there was a more mature sense he got from her manner. Older, and less likely to startle.

“This is Kaiser,” Angelic Buster introduced easily. “An old friend of mine.”

They exchanged pleasantries. Thor did little more than nod, but Arwen seemed to take no offense.

“So how’ve things been?”

“Oh, you know. The usual. Business has been good,” said Arwen, supported by another loud outburst of laughter from a nearby table. “The only damper has been losing my shoe. Some monster stole it—could you believe the nerve? But I sent a group of adventurers off on a quest to find it, so hopefully it’ll turn up eventually.

“Speaking of quests, are you interested in taking on another one? I’ve got my signature fairy mead as a reward.”

“What do you need?”

“I need some Curse Eye tails for a sausage and cheese platter to bring to Ellinel’s 20-year reunion. Could you get me around 40 of them?”

Angelic Buster agreed. It seemed to be a common occurrence, these types of requests, for a pick-up time and location was quickly and casually arranged. Then Arwen took their order. As she walked away, Angelic Buster turned back to him and said,

“A lowly ingredient hunt isn’t too beneath the great Kaiser, is it?”

A change of topic. Thor smiled. “For a new mead to try? Never.”

Breakfast arrived quickly, and while they ate, Angelic Buster explained the geography of Victoria Island: seven large towns, wrapping around the perimeter of the island, and one town in the center. Ellinia, the town they were currently in, was to the east. The portal connecting to Grandis was next to Sleepywood, the town in the middle, and did not receive many visitors due to the copious amounts of forest and monsters along the road to it. It was safe to say there was not much foot traffic, which explained how Thor had gone without seeing a soul until he’d reached Ellinia.

“There are other continents,” she continued, “reachable by the sky port north of town.”

“You chose to stay in Ellinia,” Thor said.

“I went around before this,” she hedged, waving a hand flippantly, “but eventually, yes. I settled here.”

“Because of the portal?”

Was it too blunt to ask? But Angelic Buster didn’t give him a straight answer anyway.

“That’s one of the reasons, I suppose.”

She paid and they strode out together. Time had passed such that the majority of Ellinia was now awake and wandering the twisted tree paths, either on their way somewhere or leisurely strolling through the gathering of market stalls further down. Sunlight shone bright through the tree line. The darkness of evening was nowhere to be found.

Thor, too, found he felt light.

“Where next?” he asked, eager. To adventure without the purpose of saving the world would be a unique experience. He wanted even more to try it.

“We should get Arwen’s ingredients,” Angelic Buster said. “Curse Eyes live to the north. If you’re up for the hunt?”

Her gaze slid to him in the same manner Loki’s used to, a challenge. But the challenge itself was hardly the Curse Eyes—those were only a matter of time. Instead, it was something else, something in the space between, like the goading between two brothers.

Like the flirtation, he thought, between two strangers.

“Work off breakfast,” Thor agreed, choosing an appropriate distance from that path.

Angelic Buster flashed him a tiny little grin. “Well then, how about I let you lead the way? Put the great Kaiser to work, and all that.”

“If that’s what the lady wishes.”

“It is,” she answered, succinct.

As they moved up the trees, she explained a little bit about what Curse Eyes were like. Green, slimy, with two legs and one eye. They tended to move in herds, decimating slimes with their sharp teeth.

Eventually, they departed Ellinia proper and arrived in monster territory.

Thor put his skills to work. The monster tracks were varied; slime droppings caught on branches and slathered across the path, grass pressed low from the stump monsters that waddled close to the ground; dust from pixie wings marking leaves like dew. He decided they were yet at proper altitude for Curse Eyes and ascended. Their food source was not plentiful enough here. Angelic Buster followed.

It was fascinating, really, now that he was no longer searching for civilization. He didn’t bother staying on the well-worn paths to follow signs to another city. The forest grew more impressive, thicker, and there were tricky portions where an adventurer could easily fall. In some places there was only room enough for a single person to cross at a time, and others didn’t even have bridges to cross the wide distance.

That was not, however, enough to dissuade a Nova. Especially not Kaiser.

As Thor leapt the distance, a soft _swish_ of fabric through the air sounded above. Angelic Buster easily flipped several feet above his head, passing even the intermediary footholds to get to the other side. She landed and glanced over her shoulder, eyes meeting Thor’s, that same _something_ taunting in the space between.

Waiting. For him. Challenge.

The dragon within him shifted restlessly. Thor flexed his wings.

Again.

He darted past her. She pursued. Thor didn’t even bother checking tracks anymore—they only moved forward, upward, mindless, the call of their blood rattling between their parallel lines like a game of marbles. Angelic Buster was not only fast, but agile and accustomed to the terrain here. It made Thor drive himself harder, faster, faster still—

They left streaks of Novan energy in their wake with every bound.

Angelic Buster tapped him on the shoulder as she rushed past. _Too slow_ , it said, in the curve of her smile close-lipped and the indolent slant of her eyes. Thor’s nostrils flared like he’d breathe fire. He broke through the tree line above through brute force and raced the thorny path completely unaffected. _I dare you to try_.

She ascended, using the trunk of a tree as a stepping stool to reach him in two leaps. _Easy. That all you got?_

 _Not at all_ , he said in the nudge of their shoulders. It echoed in the force of a jump that shook branches, and rained down in the scattered debris from the whip of his tail.

A blinding streak of sunset cut through the sea of green. He stumbled. She laughed, and he took that sound and tucked it away for safekeeping before turning skyward.

The beast was wide awake now. It grinned, a toothy, fiery thing as the inner flames lit his blood to boil. Back and forth, push and pull, a little more Nova each time—a little more _dragon_ each time.

It was no longer about being faster. It was about who was the hunter, and who was the _hunted_.

The hunter was decided when Thor tackled her from behind—and succeeded. They tumbled onto a bed of leaves and vine, and it was instinct that drove him to pin her. Assert dominance. Establish victory. A dragon’s pride. He bared his fangs and grinned down at her.

And faltered.

She was a mess of black curls and wild eyes beneath him and all he could see was Loki, _looking_ at him like that, like he had never looked at Thor before. His grip loosened and before he knew it, Angelic Buster was snapping up at him, baring her own—tiny—fangs as they headed for his neck.

Even if Thor wasn't anticipating it, his body did. He rolled them over again, flipping her onto her stomach as he held her down with his palm on her back. Each heartbeat thudded like a punch. He couldn't tell if it was coming from her or from him.

 _Sore loser_ , the pressure in his palm said. But the boulder in his throat whispered, _like Loki_.

Maybe he couldn't tell because his hands were trembling.

He felt every shift, every wriggle as she tested his strength, searching for openings in his concentration again. Even if Thor had them, it didn't matter: what mattered was that he couldn't bear to see Loki's face right now, so of course he wouldn't let her up. Not until he could control his own expression—not until the horrible look he had on his face was gone.

Finally, the trial ceased. Her body went lax as a cat's beneath his palm, and he heard through her heavy breaths her contented hum. Submission. Thor swallowed. Slowly, he released her, and flopped right down on the ground beside her.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

_Loki wasn't looking at him either._

Thor hated how excruciatingly _hard_ he had to try to banish the thought.

"How was that for a workout?" Angelic Buster asked. Her voice was muffled, still turned away, and yet Thor heard it as well as he'd ever heard anything.

Maybe, if he was normal, if he didn't have the ghost of his brother clouding his every thought and action, if he _wasn't_ drowning in his own guilt and shame, he would've been able to answer her. Say it'd been fun—because really it _had been_ , like finding the other half of a piece he hadn't even known he was broken till now—but he couldn't. Because he'd ruined it. Because he felt horrible inside, for seeing and wishing and for one heartless second _forgetting_.

So what if he decided to let his brother rest, if his heart couldn't _actually_ let his brother rest?

Talk, especially in one's head, was cheap.

"Kaiser?"

She must've heard his snort. Angelic Buster rolled over, landing nearly in the crook of his arm.

And—he couldn't even _look_ at her.

"Yeah," Thor is saying. _Hearing_ himself say. "Quite a workout."

"Clearly not a very good one for you." She was frowning. That, he heard, too. And when she sat up and leaned over, hair falling like a curtain over his face, he heard the way his heart ached so terribly it cried.

"Kaiser?" she whispered.

"Can I—" his hand was already reaching out but Thor stopped halfway. He didn't deserve it. He had no right to _ask_ —

But her hand reached back and in the warmth of her fingers around his wrist, it said, _you do_.

Thor wrapped her in the tightest hug he could before he could stop himself again. She was warm, and Loki, and it didn't matter if he nested or slept or had a good, warm meal if it still was the same—if he still _grieved_ the same. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and it felt as good as if he'd let himself cry. Loki. Loki Loki Loki.

 _"I'm sorry for your loss,"_ she'd said before.

If Thor was being honest, she was probably the only one who was.

Slowly, cautiously, her arms came around him too. A hand rubbed soothing circles in the space between his wings. When Thor blinked, her skin was wet. Ah, so he was crying after all.

…He was so, so tired.

It felt like all the time and no time at all passed at once. Angelic Buster stayed. She said nothing, but somehow that nothing was exactly what Thor needed. He thought he knew now why the devout prayed to their gods for comfort. The divine took his sorrow and spun it to a quilt to wrap him in, the ultimate understanding, for who could better empathize with his grief than the reflection of himself?

But, and it came back to him then, that this Angelic Buster was no god. If she was, she did not remember it. She was just as him, stuck in the in-between, just a different sort of mirror.

He eased away then, fearing he had overstayed his welcome.

"I'm sorry," Thor said.

Her eyes did not condemn him. "You hurt. Who do you hurt for?"

"My brother," he murmured. The answer, to him, was as timeless as it was true. Yes, since when had he _not_ hurt for Loki?

The words did not come easy. But, he would have her know. 

"You…look a lot like him."

"Very much?" she asked.

Thor laughed helplessly. "Yes," he said. "Very much so."

"Oh."

For a moment, that 'oh' was all that filled the space between. Then, Angelic Buster hesitantly asked,

"Would you prefer if I…"

She didn't finish. Maybe she didn't know how to finish it. Thor certainly didn't; what would he have asked, that she did not bear Loki's likeliness? Ridiculous.

"…go?"

…Oh.

"No," Thor said quickly. He shook his head for good measure. "No, don't—you don't have to—" he hadn't even considered it.

"Ah," she said. "I assumed…well, you don't seem like you have the best memories of him." _To put it delicately_.

But to this, Thor denied as well. "It's him that must not have the best memories of me," he said ruefully. "It doesn't matter anyway. He was my brother. I grieve for him because I love him, regardless of how well we got on towards the…end.

"It is my regret," Thor said then, "that I couldn’t have told him one last time…"

"Oh," Angelic Buster said again. She sounded…breathless. Strangled. Tight in the throat.

"I'm sorry," Thor repeated. "None of this is your fault. It's mine, to have dumped this on you. Figure that—the great Kaiser, Defender of Pantheon, and even he can't rid himself of his ghosts."

"Even heroes aren’t infallible," Angelic Buster said quietly.

Thor’s mouth curled. “Aren’t we?”

The question sat between them for a beat before hands came to grip his shoulders. Neither angry nor gentle, full of pity or caution. 

Thor looked up.

“You aren’t,” she said. And then, stronger, “You aren’t. You bleed. You hurt. You can be reckless and you can miscalculate. You can want things and you can be cruel. You can be selfish—and if you need permission for that now, by the Goddess knows why, _I’ll give it to you myself_. So what if you have responsibilities, an inheritance?

“Those things aren’t all you are. Just because you’ve got a weird old sword and a fancy title doesn’t mean you aren’t a person anymore.”

Thor swallowed. “That sounds a little close to heresy.”

She glared at him. “You say I’m a god—I might as well put it to some use.”

This time, Thor did laugh.

He covered her hand with his and squeezed it. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting by coming here, but…thanks.”

“No problem,” she murmured. Then, she wrinkled her nose and said, “Someone’s got to look out for you.”

“You’re probably the only one who thinks that.”

“Then I’m _probably_ the only one who’s got a lick of sense around here.”

Thor smiled. He pat her hand again, heart full for the first time in a long time, and then helped them both to stand. Maybe he should’ve felt embarrassed, spilling his fears out to a stranger. Certainly it wasn’t something that he’d ever thought he’d do.

But how could he, when he felt so keenly that she _understood_? That they were the same—two horns of the same pair, two wings upon the same back...

Two halves of the same whole.


End file.
